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| New Caledonia: French Pacific territory rejects independence | New Caledonia: French Pacific territory rejects independence |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Voters in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia have rejected a bid for independence. | Voters in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia have rejected a bid for independence. |
| Final results showed that 56.4% chose to remain part of France while 43.6% voted to leave - a tighter result than some polls had predicted. | Final results showed that 56.4% chose to remain part of France while 43.6% voted to leave - a tighter result than some polls had predicted. |
| Turnout was about 81%. The vote was promised in a 1988 deal that put an end to a violent campaign for independence. | |
| President Emmanuel Macron said it showed "confidence in the French republic". | President Emmanuel Macron said it showed "confidence in the French republic". |
| "I have to tell you how proud I am that we have finally passed this historic step together," he added. | "I have to tell you how proud I am that we have finally passed this historic step together," he added. |
| The referendum passed peacefully but some unrest was reported after polls closed. | |
| Cars and a shop were set ablaze in the capital, Nouméa, local media reported, and the high commissioner's office said some roads were closed by protesters. | |
| New Caledonia has large deposits of nickel, a vital component in manufacturing electronics, and is seen by France as a strategic political and economic asset in the region. | New Caledonia has large deposits of nickel, a vital component in manufacturing electronics, and is seen by France as a strategic political and economic asset in the region. |
| It is one of the UN's 17 "non-self governing territories" - where the process of decolonisation has not been completed. | It is one of the UN's 17 "non-self governing territories" - where the process of decolonisation has not been completed. |
| About 175,000 people were eligible to vote in Sunday's referendum New Caledonia, east of Australia, where indigenous Kanaks make up 39.1% of the population. | About 175,000 people were eligible to vote in Sunday's referendum New Caledonia, east of Australia, where indigenous Kanaks make up 39.1% of the population. |
| French nationalism is strong among the territory's ethnic Europeans - constituting 27.1% of the population - and observers say even some Kanaks back staying part of France. | French nationalism is strong among the territory's ethnic Europeans - constituting 27.1% of the population - and observers say even some Kanaks back staying part of France. |
| The remaining third of the population of New Caledonia's 268,000 inhabitants are also largely said to oppose independence. | The remaining third of the population of New Caledonia's 268,000 inhabitants are also largely said to oppose independence. |
| The remote islands receive about €1.3bn (£1.1bn; $1.5bn) from the French government every year. | The remote islands receive about €1.3bn (£1.1bn; $1.5bn) from the French government every year. |
| During a visit to Nouméa in May, Mr Macron said that France would be "less beautiful without New Caledonia". | |
| France first claimed the islands in 1853 and once used them as a penal colony. | France first claimed the islands in 1853 and once used them as a penal colony. |
| In the 1980s there were deadly clashes between French forces and Kanaks. | In the 1980s there were deadly clashes between French forces and Kanaks. |
| The climax of that conflict came when Kanak separatists killed four French gendarmes and took another 23 hostage in a cave. The subsequent French assault cost the lives of 19 Kanaks and two soldiers. | The climax of that conflict came when Kanak separatists killed four French gendarmes and took another 23 hostage in a cave. The subsequent French assault cost the lives of 19 Kanaks and two soldiers. |
| In 1988 representatives from the both pro- and anti-independence camps agreed to end the violence and eventually hold a self-determination referendum. | In 1988 representatives from the both pro- and anti-independence camps agreed to end the violence and eventually hold a self-determination referendum. |
| A No vote may not spell the end of the independence drive. Two further referendums on independence can still be held before 2022. | A No vote may not spell the end of the independence drive. Two further referendums on independence can still be held before 2022. |
| A Yes vote would have made New Caledonia the first French territory to break away since Djibouti (1977) and Vanuatu (1980). | A Yes vote would have made New Caledonia the first French territory to break away since Djibouti (1977) and Vanuatu (1980). |
| New Caledonia is represented in the French parliament by two deputies and two senators. | New Caledonia is represented in the French parliament by two deputies and two senators. |
| It has a congress which elects an executive with powers over some policy areas - notably policing, education and local laws. | It has a congress which elects an executive with powers over some policy areas - notably policing, education and local laws. |